May 1998
"You weren't here Charlie. Don't even try to guess how I'm feeling, how any of us are feeling, because you weren't here. You don't have a clue what it was like."
The door slammed and Charlie was left alone in his parent's kitchen. His brother's words stung, more so because they were true. He had been waiting for someone to say it for days; in fact he was surprised it had taken this long.
He thought of Ron, who had spent a year on the run, going through who knew what. Bill had been there to help out; Bill who was still suffering in wake of Greyback's attack, who was doing whatever he could for the Order. Ginny had been leading a rebel army at Hogwarts, the twins had been helping Lee Jordan with the radio broadcasts, even Percy had made it back for the start of the fight, even Percy had seen Fred one last time...
How many times had he told his siblings that he would be there for them, no matter what?
It was all a lie; he hadn't been there at all.
Oddly, it wasn't any of their faces that came to mind now, but that of an eleven year old girl, with brown, mousy hair, being shoved down a staircase by a sixth year Slytherin.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you," he had stated boldly.
"I don't need protecting, thank you very much," she had huffed, but she let him help her up just the same.
As he watched her walk down the corridor, a thought struck Charlie. The knights in the story books never let the princess just walk away. I'm a Gryffindor, he told himself; I'm brave, I'm honourable.
Within seconds, he was back by her side. "I mean it, Nymphadora Tonks. I'm going to be your friend and I'm going to protect you. I promise."
She had scowled at him and walked off, but he took the fact that she didn't jinx him as a good sign.
Now, the memory left him hollow. He had promised her and the promise had been broken, just like the one he had made to his family.
So much for Gryffindor honour. Charlie Weasley felt that right now he didn't have much of that.
A/N: Writing Charlie angst seems to be my go to stress relief right now. I'll try and alternate it with something more light hearted.
